Slicing machine



Sept. 2, 1930. w. J. CAMPBELL SLVICING CHINE Filed llay 8. 1926 s sheets-sheet 41 gli E JW MP W7 Sept. 2, 1930. w. J. CAMPBELL SLICING MACHINE Filed May 8, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 A A A A A A A O O O sePL 2, 1930-- w. J. CAMPBELL 1,774,913

SLICING MACHINE Filed May. 8, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lll/M [five/daf" Patentedseph l2, l1930 1 UNITED STATES PATENT oFl-lc-E wmLIAM I. GAMPBELL, or INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, AssIGNoa 'ro AImnIoAN sLIcING MACHINE COMPANY, or cIIIcAeo, ILLINOIS, A coRPoRATIoN or NEW Yonx SLICING MACHINE Application led May 8, 1926. .Serial No. 107,656.

My invention relates to a slicing machine and particularly to a slicing machine for slicing meat which shall be light, simple to manufacture, and easy to operate. Onevpurpose 6 is theprovision of a slicing machine of the type described wherein the knife is entirely masked from the operator except along the larc of the knife where the slicing is effected. Another object is the provision of improved supporting and guiding means for the meat support. Another object is the provision of an improved auge plate for controlling the thickness of t e slice. Another object is the rovision of ifmproved grinding or sharpenl mg means for the knife. Another object is the provision of improved adjustment means for the knife. Other objects will appear from time to time in the course of the specification and claims.

I illustrate my invention more or less diarammatically 1n the accompanying drawm s whereinf igure 1 is an end' elevation with parts broken away; 4

Figure 2 is a plan view with parts inv horizontal section;

Figure 3 is a front elevation with parts broken away; v

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4.-4 of Figure 2; l

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5.--5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 3;

Figure 7 is a section on the line 7--7 of Figure 3; and i Figure 8 is a section on the-line 8-8 of Figure 3.

Like parts are indicated b v like symbols '40 throughout the specification and drawings.

A generally indicates any suit-able base frame or member provided for example with the anti-frictional and noise deadening studs or supports A1.

Mounted on such base memberis any suitable motor means herein shown as the motor B lfrom which projects the motor shaft B1 on which is the driving pulley B1 adapted to engage and drive the belt B3, herein shown as of triangular cross-section to engage the inclined faced channel B* on the pulley B1.

C is a knife supporting sleeve mounted upon the base A and including the shield portion C1. It will be understood that the shield portion is continuous .with or extends to the motor lhousing B and forms part of the-general upwardly projecting housing or frame member C1.

Mounted within the sleeve portion C is an inner sleeve D in which are mounted the ball bearing tracks D1 to support the balls D2 opposed to the inner tracks D8 on the knife shaft D4. D5 are lookin nuts whereby to secure the knife shaft an roller bearing assembly together, the shaft D* being enlarged as at D6 to engage the inner forward ball track D. D7 isa channel pulley mounted on the shaft D4l adapted to receive about it the belt B3.

E is a knife disc proper secured to the shaft. assembly for example by the screw E1 and additionally secured to the pulley D7 for example by the screws E3. The knife discl is shown as convex and is peripherally cut away or recessed on its hollow face, as at E4 to leave a peripheral portion E5 projecting somewhat forwardly from the face of the knife, the inner face of which is preferably, but not necessarily, cupped.

The sleeve C is apertured as at G,'the aperture passing partially through the cylindrical interior of the sleeve. Mounted in such aperture is the locking pin G1 cut away as at G2 to permit the passage of the inner sleeve-D.

The outer end of the pin is screw threaded as at Cr8 to receive the lock nut G4g whereby the pin may be longitudinally moved to clamp the inclined faces of the cut away portion G2 against the opposed surface of the sleeve D.

' 1 a central cylindrical aperture T1 ore end of vwhich is open and the opposite end of which is in communication with a smaller aperture T2 in which is slidably positioned a pusher member T3 with an inner expanded terminal portion T1. Mounted in the open end of the `sleeve -T is the bearing block T0 secured for example by the screw `Tf'and slidable in it is the grinderl shaft T7 u'pon the outer end of which is mounted any suitable grinding member T8. T0 is a ball race mounted upon the shaft T7 and opposed to the opposite ball race member T10 and the bearing balls T11. T12 is a supporting member for the ball race T10 and T14 is a spiral spring compressedbetween it and the plug T0. The operator may exert, through the medium of pin T3, as much pressure upon the grinding element T8 against the knife as he may desire and as may be necessary to'produce the desired vrapidity of grinding.

Referring to Figure ,7 the frame member C2 is inwardly expanded to form the cylindrical sleeve V in which is mounted the bearing block V1 which receives the shaft V2 at one end of which is mounted the swaging,

burnishing or spinning element.V0.' Mount- 'ed upon the opposite end of the shaft is the ball race V4 opposed 'to the ball race V5. V0 is a supporting member for the ball race Vi and between it and the plug V1 is compressed the spiral spring V7. S'crew threaded into the opposite end of the cylinder is the member V8 in which is screw threadedthe screwl member V0 controlled by the' knurled thumb piece V10. It is highly important that the faceE5 of the cutter be not injured by unskillful attempts to sharpen the cutter, and as the removal of material should be entirely bymeans ofthe grinding element T0, and as the element V3 should act merely to bring the grinder burr out into the cutting plate, either for utilization as the cutting edge or for removal by the grinding element, it is highly important that the amount'of pressure to be exerted upon the grinder by the element V3 bebeyond unskillful control. The force of the spring V7 is therefore carefully adjusted in the factory and it will be noted that no amount of manipulation ofthe screw V0 by the operator will permit an extra heavy application of the element Va to the cutter.

Mounted on the forward face of the frame member C1 is the fixed guard plate H which may be of'any suitable material. At its left edge, as shown in Figure 3, it is arcuately cut away as at H1, the arcuate portion penetrating or seating closely withinthe peripheral channel E41 of the-knife E the axis of the knife being slightly tilted in a horizontal plane from perpendicularity -to the plate, as

vshown in Figure 2 to bring the edge of the figure, generally in the plane of the guard plate H. l l

J is a frame or housing member upwardly projecting from the opposite end of the'base A. Mounted for rotation therewithin is the control shaft J1 upon the inner end of which is the-worm J2. Such sliaftis controlled by the external handle J3 provided with indieating symbols as at J'1 aligned with the opposed pointing member J5.

Pivoted to the vertical rock shafts J0 J7 ly bowed forward. The right edge of said gauge plate K0, as shown in Figure 3, may be arcuately `formed,vas at K4, generally concentrically with the arcuate portion H1 of the fixed guard plate. The distance separating the opposed edges is`r as shown in Figure 2, sufficient to permit the penetration therebetween of the peripheral portion E5 of the knife E.

Secured to the rock shaft J 0 is a segment worm gear K7 which meshes with and is driven by the worm J2. A tension spring K8 is secured at one end to'al lug K0 on the frame J and at its opposite end to `one of the pivotedl blocks or stripsK2. This spring serves to hold the teeth in the segment K7 in close contact with the opposed teeth of the Worm J2. Coiled around the upper'par't of the rock shaft J 0 is a heavyspring I 10, which is held under compression against the under side of one. of the bearing lugs K11 by the collar K1g which is secured to the rock shaft4 J0.- The resulting friction acts as a brake, and tends to hold the gauge plate K3 in any position in which it may be set by the operation of the handle J 3.

The support of the gauge'plate by means of the parallel links K, K1 not only provides for maintenance of parallelism of the active face of the gauge plate relative to the active face of the guard plate and relative to the line ofmovement of the carriage 0, but also makes possible the gradual Widening o f the throat between the active edge of the cutter and the forward edge of lthe gauge plate as that throat is deepened to `provide for thicker slices, thereby providing the necessary amount of clearance for the -thicker slices. It will be readily understood that various well-known mechanical inountings for the gauge plate, by which parallelism throughout adjustmentv may be maintained, and by which the desired Widening of the throat is attained as the throat is deepened, will 1;".v

readily suggest themselves to the average mechanic. v

K1 is any suitable top or lid member extending from end to end ofthe slicing'machine and adapted to be secured for example by the screws Ke to the housing J and the housing or frame member C1.

L is any suitable receiving plate for receiving the material sliced by the knife and L1 is any suitable control switch for controlling the current to the motor of the motor housing B. M is a track herein shown as ofcircular cross-section .mounted for example on the.

track M is any suitable slide or rail Ml5 herein shown as of rectangular cross-section.

Mounted for movement alon the track M and the rail Mls 1s anysu1tab e carriage or supporting member hereinshown as including a body portion O and a meat engaging member O1. Such meat enga ing member includes a broad face O? sligtly inclined to the horizontal and a narrower face' O3 sharply inclined to .the horizontal the two being generally perpendicular to each other. Downwardly depending from the body portion O is an arm or slide O4 with a Adepending finger O5 adapted to engage one side of the slide M5. Movably secured to it is the finger memberO1 in which is any suitable adjusting member herein shown as the screw O7 controlled by the lock nut O8. O9

. are any suitable buffer members adapted to contact the posts M1 at each end of the eX- cursion of the carriage. 01 is any suitable handle for the manual movement of the carriage O11 is a pin fixed to the finger O5 and having an enlarged head which engages the slide or track M5. In the present device the portion of the material which is in proximity to the knife and which in any given opera-- tion is to be severed from the body portion to form the slice, is manually moved in a direction at an angle to the movement of the carriage so as to bring it into contact with the gauge and guard plates and into slicing relationship to the knife. Any suitable means v for this purpose may be utilized. The carriage O is arranged to underlie and entirely y to support the material being sliced.

In the construct-ion P is a meat face plate or pusher provided with the pins P1 P1 which penetrate opposed holes in the meat table support O. The pusher P is provided with a handle P2 and carries on its front face pins P3 to engage the meat or other' substance being slice It will' be realized that whereas I have illustrated and described a practical and [operative device that nevertheless many changes may be made Without departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore wish my drawings and description to be taken as in a broad sense-illustrative and diagrammatic rather than as limiting me to my precise showing.

The use and operation of my invention are las follows:

I provide a generally vertical fixed guard i plate, arcuately cut away to permit the penetration or the exposure of the rotary knife. The plane of the'knife is tilted in order to bring the exposed edge generally into the plane or Iclose to the plane of the forward face of the guard plate, t-he knife being hollowed orv sunk in order to permit its peripheral portion E to extend forwardly beyond the body of the knife. Generally 4aligned with the fixed guard plate H is the adjustable gauge'plat'e K3 controlled by the worm J2 which 1n turn iscontrolled by rotation ofthe handle J3. The gauge plate may, if desired,

be slightly bowed to conform to the curvature ofthe exposed knife edge. I have shown a. fixed linger J5 on the housing opposed to the symbols-J'1 on the handle, but obviously any other practical means for controlling or indicating the necessary rotation of the worm .may be employed. In response to rotation of the worm the link or' lever .K1 is rotated and moves in unison withthe gauge plate K3. The lever or link rotates necessariy in unison with the link K, the two being of like length between pivot points, the gauge K3 always lying in a plane parallel with the plane of the guard plate H. The material being cut is placedupon the carriage and is moved, for the'cutting excursion, from left to right, as sliownin Figures 2 and 3. The thickness of the slice is determined by the posit-ion of the gauge plate K3, the slice passes through the aperture between the edge of the knife and the gauge plate Kaand drops upon the receiving plate L, from which it may be manually removed. With the 'gauge plate K3 supported as herein shown, as the plate is moved backwardlyfrom the cutting plane, in order to increase the thickness of the slice to be produced, the arcuate edge of the gauge plate draws readily away from. the cutting edge, so that the throat between thegauge plate and the cutting edge is both deepened and widened, and, as the slice is thereby thickened, a relatively greater space is provided, through which' the thickened slice may easily pass. This double recessive nievement is the necessary result of the employment of the mounting herein shown, but obviously other means may be employed in order to impart to the gauge plate the combined rearward and lateral movement above described. An advantage of this disposition rests inthe fact that the thickness of the slice increases more readily than does the' Aactual distance between the gauge plate and lugs Q1 on the frame VC2 and secured by the screws Q2 threaded into the stud bolt Q. The position of the plate H is preferably initially adjusted at the factory but further adjustment, if necessary, may easily be made by theoperator. The knife shaft sleeved) being also longitudinally adjusted, it is possible easily and accurately to position knife and guard plate .in thev proper relation. 'Ilhe housing C1 and the plate I-I between them entirely enclosethe knife driving mechanism and the knife is exposed only along the cutting edge and only when the gauge plate is withdrawn. When the gauge plate isadvanced forwardly to the position shown in full line in Figure 2 the entire edge` of the knife is guarded or concealed.

Referring to the grinding member shown in Figures 6 and 7 the grinding member of Figure 6 is normally withdrawn from contact with the knife. A spiral spring T1* normally withdraws the shaft T7 and with it the grinder T8 from contact with the knife and opposes the innerend of the shaftA to the .member T2, the excursion of such member being limited by the expanded member T4. In response to a positive pressure, for example of the thumb or finger, against the member T2, the spiral spring T14 may be com pressed and the grinder is thrust into contact with the knife edge. Thus the oper-v ator has full control of the actual grinding, and may thrust the grinder, with Whatever pressure he wishes, against the rear face 'of the rotating knife edge.4 j

On the contrary, the swaging or burnishing member V3 of Figure 7 is normally drawn against the opposite edge ofthe blade, the

' spiral spring V7 serving to draw the shaft V2 to the left as shown in the figure. The

:tension exertedv by the burnisher. depends exclusivelyj'upon the tension of the spring- V7 which is initially set at the factory and is beyond the control of the operator. IThe screw .V9 may be positively set to hold the burnisher out of contact with the knife, but the sole choice opened to the operator is whether to permit the burnisher to engage the forward face of the blade or not, the sole function of the burnisher being to rub off or swage back the burr produced by the grinding element T8.

Note that the shaft, or pin T7 is positioned within the periphery of the knife and the grinder TB therefore contacts the knife at a .point where the stone approaches the knife edge as it revolves, the shaft T7l rotating in the same -direction as the knifeshaft. burnishing shaft V2 on the contrary, is positioned beyond the periphery of the knife and rotates in an opposite direction, the bur-A `the grinding elements in Contact with the knife.

In order to minimize the waste of material I employ a holder or face plate P guided on the support O for example by the pins P1.

I claim:

1. In a slicing machine, a guard plate, a rotary knife positioned onA one side of said plate and means for driving it, a gauge plate and means for moving it toward and away from the plane of the guard plate, while holding it continually in a plane parallel with such guard plate, comprising a plurality of pivoted arms of uniform length mounted upon vsuch slicing machine and in rotatable relation with such gauge plate, and

means for rotating -them and means for l1old-` ing said gauge plate in adjusted position.

2. In a slicing machine, a guard plate, a rotary knife positioned on one side of said plate and means for driving it, a gauge plate and means forlmoving it toward and away from the plane of the guard plate, while holding it continually in a plane parallel with such guard plate, comprising a plurality of pivoted arms of uniform length mounted upon such slicing machine and in rotatable relation with such gauge plate, and means for rotating them, comprising in part a gear associated with one of said arms, a worm in mesh therewith, and actuating means for rotating such worm.

3. In a slicing machine, a guard plate, a rotary knife positioned on one side of said plate and means for driving it, a gauge plate and means for moving it toward and away from-the planevof the guard plate, comprising a plurality of pivoted arms of uniform length mounted upon such slicing machine and in rotatable relation with such gauge plate, and means for rotating them, comprising in part a gear associated with one of said arms, a worm in mesh therewith, and actuating means for 'rotating such Worm, comprising a handle, and an indicating means for indicating the extent of the move-v ment of the gauge plate, including a plurality of indicating symbols and a pointer,

adapted for relative movement in response to movement of such handle.

4. In avslicing machine, a guard plate, a rotary knife positioned at one side of said The guard plate, and means for drivin it, a carrier mounted at the opposite side o the guard plate, and means for guiding it along a path parallel to the face thereof, al single supporting track for said carrier comprisin a bar of generally circular cross-section, an means for preventing the rotation of said carrier about said bar, comprising a guide rail positioned beneath said bar and means, adjustable in relation to the width of said rail,

depending from said carrier landl engaging said rail.-

5. The combination with a carriage for use with a slicing machine of a meat end plate mounted for longitudinal movement along said carriage, and a guiding member upon said end plate adapted to penetrate said carriage. v

6. -The combination with acarriage for use with a slicing machine of a meat end plate vmounted for manual longitudinal movement along said carriage, a plurality of guiding members upon said Iend plate adapted to penetrate said carriage and to gindev the travel of the meat end plate therealong.

7. The combination with a carriage for use with a slicing machine of a meat end plate mounted for manual longitudinal move- 4 ment along said carriage, a pluralityof guiding members upon said end plate adapted to penetrate said carriage and to guide the travel of the meat end plate therealong, and a handle upon said end plate and a plurality of meat engaging pins on the forward face thereof.

8. In a slicing machine, a rotary knife, a

carrier, and means for guiding said carrier along a path across the face of said knife, includingl a pair of superposed vertically aligned tracks, and means for laterall adjusting said carrier in relation to one o said tracks.

9.- In a slicing machine, a rotary knife, a

.carrier, and means for guiding said carrier along a path across the face of sald kn1fe,

means for laterally adjusting said carrier in relation to one of said tracks.

1l. In a slicing machine, a rotary knife,

. a carrier and means for guiding said carrier along a path across the face of said knife, and means for a-ngularly adjusting the plane described by the forward face of said carrier 4- as it moves along said path, comprising a pair of generally parallel supporting tracks, the carrier being rotatable, for adjustment, about one-of them, and means for adjusting it in relation to the other.

12. In a slicing machine, a rotary knife, a carrier and means for guiding said carrier along a path across the face of said knife, a face plate upon said carrier and a supporting structure therefor, andmeans for movl a face plate upon said carrier and a supporting structure therefor, and means for moving it toward and away from the knife along an axis generally perpendicular to the path of movement of the carrier, and guiding means therefor, including a4 plurality of pins assov ciated with said face plate structure.

14:. In a slicing machine, a rotary knife and means for rotating it', the axis of rotation of said knife lying in a generally horizontal-plane, a guard plate positioned forwardly of said knife and lying in a generally vertical plane, a gauge plate positioned in a plane generally parallel with the plane of said guard plate, a carriage adapted to support the material being sliced, and means for guidin said carriage along a path generally paralle with the faces ofthe gauge plate and the guard plate, and means for manually moving the material being sliced toward the.gauge plate, including a pusher plate mounted upon the carriage, and lying in a plane parallel with the plane of the gauge plate, and means for guiding it along a path generally perpendicular to the plane of the gauge plate, and means for moving the material and carriage past the cutting edge of the knife.

15. In a manual feed slicing machine, a rotary knife, a motor for rotating it, a normally stationary and generally vertical guard plate for said knife, a generally vertical gauge plate positioned ina plane generally parallel with the plane of said vguard plate, a carriage adapted to underlie and entirely to support the material being sliced and means for lmanually moving the portion of the material which is to be severed by the knife to form the slice, in a direction at an angle to the movement of the carriage and towards the gauge and guard plates and into slicing relationship to the knife, the guard plate being on the carriage side of the knife,

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and means for guiding said carriage along a path generally parallel with the faces of the gauge plate and guard plate.

16. In a slicing machine, a rotary knife, a carrier and means for guiding said carrier along a path across the face of the knife, including a pair of tracks one below the other and vertically aligned, and means for adjusting said carrier'in relation to one of said I tracks comgrlsmg two separated ngers connected wIt saldi carrier and projecting on opposite sides of said latter track, an ad- WILLIAM J. CAIIIPBELL.

CERTIFICATE 0F .CORRECTION.

Patent No. 1, 774,913. Y September 2, i930..

WILLIAM J. CAMPBELL.

lt is hereby certified that error apnears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 59, before "P""insert the word shown; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same 'may conform toh the record of the -case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed. this 1st day of November, A. D.l 1932,

` M. J. Moore, .(Seal.) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

